A mainland woman was arrested last week for defrauding a local casino with several accomplices out of HK$280,000 at the baccarat tables in June, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said at a press conference yesterday.
The 35-year-old suspect surnamed Zhao is an illegal currency exchange dealer.
According to Leng, a staff member of a local casino resort hotel in Cotai reported to the Judiciary Police on June 25 that several people had defrauded the casino out of HK$280,000 in June. PJ officers discovered from the casino’s surveillance records that Zhao committed the fraud with several accomplices at a number of baccarat tables. Zhao and two to three accomplices pretended to be gamblers playing at the same table while another two to three accomplices acted as lookouts. The accomplices at the gaming table placed bets of just a few hundred Hong Kong dollars and kept asking different questions in an attempt to distract the casino dealer. Leng said that each time Zhao put down chips worth HK$70,000 when placing bet. She stood beside the card shuffler where there was a blind spot which could cover up her cheating. When Zhao won, she would get the winnings but when she lost, she would quickly snatch back the HK$70,000 chips.
Leng said that Zhao was arrested last Thursday when she re-entered Macau via the Barrier Gate checkpoint. PJ officers discovered that she had provided false identity information, and she refused to cooperate with the police. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation into the case to look for the whereabouts of the ill-gotten money as well as the accomplices who were still on the run at the time of the press conference yesterday afternoon.
Zhao was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) last Friday, facing fraud, organised crime and false identity statement charges, according to Leng.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon looks on during yesterday’s press conference at the Public Security Police (PSP) pressroom. Photo: Camy Tam
